


What If

by ArcherDarke



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Scene Rewrite, also major character death?, but not for long, i just thought it would be better this way, its very unpolished I wrote it on my phone at work i'm sorry, kinda cassunzel if you squint, obvs, plus est on vous, rta finale, tw for mentions/description of a wound/blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-22 21:21:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23200564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArcherDarke/pseuds/ArcherDarke
Summary: What if Rapunzel had been the one to die in Plus Est On Vous and Cassandra had been the one to bring her back? An alternate rewrite of that scene in the finale.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 45





	What If

Cassandra pulled on Rapunzel's hair with all her might, bringing Zhan Tiri's left hand above her head inch by inch just as Rapunzel pulled at the monster's right. Zhan Tiri fought against them with all her might but Rapunzel's hair, which continued to flash gold and brown intermittently, was stronger than her rage. Cassandra spotted a shard of golden rock by her foot and instantly knew what needed to be done.

"Rapunzel!" She stomped her foot down onto the shard, flipping it into the air straight into Rapunzel's outstretched hand. Rapunzel caught it with a flourish and in the next second she was slicing a clean line through her hair. Cassandra let her end go and watched with bated breath as Zhan Tiri's wrists came together with a thunderous clap followed by a magical explosion that threw she and Rapunzel off their feet. Cassandra hit the wall of the Place with a grunt as shockwaves of energy poured outwards from the courtyard where the Sundrop and the Moonstone were finally coming together as one.

Zhan Tiri came apart before Cassandra's eyes, her wicked form dissolving into nothing as the powerful artefacts did their work. Cassandra's smile grew wider as Zhan Tiri finally disappeared, leaving nothing but a memory in her wake. The newly formed stone, half sun and half moon, hovered and shimmered at the end of the platform stretching out from the palace entrance. Cassandra stared at it in awe. They'd done it, they'd defeated Zhan Tiri at last.

"Raps! We did it!" Cassandra turned, expecting to see Rapunzel smiling back at her. Her heart clenched painfully when instead, she saw the princess crumpled up by the Palace entrance. "Rapunzel! No!" With almost inhuman speed, Cassandra launched herself towards Rapunzel, falling to her knees by the Princess' prone form, tears starting to gather at the corners of her eyes.

She pulled gently at Rapunzel's body, turning her slowly, gently onto her back, terrified of what she was going to see. She was not prepared for the sight of thick, sticky blood covering Rapunzel's clothes, nor the glistening shard of the rock Rapunzel had used to cut her hair protruding from her side where it was deeply embedded.

An agonised sob wrenched itself from Cassandra's lips. "No...no...no..." She took Rapunzel's head into her hands, tears streaming freely down her face now. "It wasn't supposed to end like this..." She whispered hoarsely. She pressed her forehead to Rapunzel's, the warmth of it against hers causing another wave of sobs to overtake her, her shoulders shaking with the force of her anguish. _If I hadn't taken the moonstone...if I hadn't given in to my anger...after everything I've done, it should be me lying here, not you..._

Her tears splashed onto Rapunzel's cheeks, glittering in the light of the stone that glowed mockingly just metres away from where Rapunzel lay. Cassandra looked up towards the light, and as her eyes settled on the mysterious opal, she made a decision.

She returned her gaze to Rapunzel's serene face. "I won't let you go." She swiped her tears from Rapunzel's cheeks with her thumbs and then stood, a look of determination on her tear-stained face. "I'm bringing you back!"

She approached the shimmering stone with clenched fists and gritted teeth. The power of it pushed her back but she fought through the energy, feeling as though she was walking under water. When she was close enough, she reached out a hand to take the stone. Energy crackled towards her fingers, zapping her, warning her to stay back, but she ignored the pain and pushed forward until her fingers closed around the opal.

Immediately she felt her body ignite with the combined might of the Sundrop and the Moonstone. It's power was far greater than that of the Moonstone alone, and Cassandra now realised why she had never felt whole after stealing it away. The two elements were like two halves of one soul, and one would never be fully complete without the other.

The stone infused her with its power and she suddenly felt what it was like to be truly unstoppable. But was it powerful enough to cheat death? She took a deep breath and began to sing.

_“Flower, gleam and glow,_

_let your power shine,_

_make the clock reverse,_

_bring back what once was mine...”_

Energy began to radiate out from Cassandra as she sang, the strength of it lifting her into the air. Below, Rapunzel's fallen army began to stir and rise from the ground, their cuts and bruises healing as the waves of energy passed over them.

_“Heal what has been hurt,_

_change the fates' design,_

_save what has been lost,_

_bring back what once was mine..._

_...what once was mine!”_

With a final, powerful blast, the opal escaped Cassandra's grasp and shot into the heavens at lightning speed, leaving her drained of its energy. She hit the ground hard and collapsed to her knees.

"C...Cass?"

The sound of Rapunzel's shaky voice filled her with more light than any ancient stone ever could and Cassandra's heart soared as she looked up to meet the sweetest, kindest, bright green eyes she'd ever known. Rapunzel stood before her with a soft smile, hand outstretched to help Cassandra to her feet.

"Raps!" With a sudden burst of strength, Cassandra surged up and wrapped her arms around Rapunzel, squeezing her harder than she'd ever squeezed anything or anyone before.

Rapunzel squeezed her back just as hard. "You did it, Cass. You brought me back." She whispered. "Thank you."

It was then that Cassandra noticed the sound of many voices coming together as one. She pulled away from Rapunzel and turned towards the source of the noise. Down below, in the Palace square, Rapunzel's army was cheering. She looked back to Rapunzel with a smile. "They're cheering for you, Raps."

Rapunzel shook her head. "No Cass, listen...they're cheering for _you_."

"Three cheers for Cassandra! She saved the Princess!"

Cassandra raised her eyebrows in surprise, feeling another wave of emotion wash over her as she heard her name being chanted over and over by the people below. Warmth spread throughout her chest as Rapunzel wrapped an arm around her waist and smiled brightly at her before leaning close to whisper in her ear.

"I don't know about you, but I could sure use a nap after all that!"

Cassandra laughed out loud as Rapunzel pulled her towards the Palace, the joyous sound carried away on the summer breeze.


End file.
